For nine months, your diet is one of the keys to your child's healthy development. Nourished with nutrients and vitamins through your blood, your baby receives everything they need to grow and gain strength. From the beginning of pregnancy, you should adopt a balanced diet, make a few adjustments to your eating habits, and avoid certain foods. In this article, we’ll explain everything you need to know about nutrition during pregnancy: follow the guide!

Which foods should you pay attention to?

1. Alcohol

A small glass of champagne to celebrate an important event can’t hurt, right? Unfortunately, it can. Alcohol consumption during pregnancy should be avoided. Even a tiny amount can lead to brain, nerve-connection, or developmental issues in your child. Zero alcohol for the next nine months—and for as long as you breastfeed—is your new rule of thumb.

2. Cheese made from raw milk and soft cheese

We know cheese and the French are a great love story! If it’s your guilty pleasure, we regret to inform you that, during pregnancy, some cheeses should unfortunately be avoided. In general, you should steer clear of soft cheeses made from raw milk, as they could contain the bacteria Listeria, responsible for listeriosis. The risk of contracting this infectious disease is twelve times higher in pregnant women. It can be transmitted to your child and lead to premature birth or, in the worst cases, miscarriage. For this reason, be cautious.

But let’s get back to cheese: is camembert therefore forbidden during pregnancy? The answer is no! However, you should only consume pasteurized camembert. Keep an eye on the labels or ask your cheesemonger if you’re unsure.

Hard cheeses made from raw milk, such as parmesan , can be consumed during pregnancy. Due to their high salt content and long shelf life, bacteria such as listeria cannot survive in them. So you don’t have to give up your portion of Parmesan on your pasta, phew! ;) And while we’re talking about Italian cheese, what about mozzarella ? If it is fresh and sold in open access, avoid it—bacteria can easily grow there. Prefer industrial mozzarella. The same applies to marinated cheeses like feta and fresh cheeses ( white cheese, mascarpone, and ricotta ).

3. Raw meat and fish, liver

Bad news for all sushi enthusiasts: you’ll have to skip maki, nigiri, and other sashimi for 9 months. More bad news: you’ll also need to avoid beef or fish carpaccio and tartare . Indeed, toxoplasmosis can be transmitted through raw fish as well as raw meat. This infectious disease can cause miscarriage or permanent nerve damage in the unborn child. Like listeriosis, this infection can be asymptomatic in pregnant women. Your immune status can be determined at the beginning of pregnancy through a simple blood test.

Giving up foie and other liver-based products such as duck foie gras is probably easier for many women. These are rich in vitamin A, and excessive consumption can be dangerous for the fetus and cause malformations.

To help prevent possible listeria or toxoplasmosis, it’s best to avoid raw deli meats such as raw ham , saucisson , and chorizo , as well as rillettes . However, you can still consume cooked deli meats such as white ham or chicken ham . It is recommended to buy them pre-packaged, as contact with the outside environment is significantly limited.

4. Raw eggs

Raw eggs are one of the main sources of salmonella transmission. If you develop a salmonella infection during pregnancy, it will not be transmitted to your child, but the associated symptoms, such as diarrhea or vomiting, can severely dehydrate you. Therefore, you should avoid preparations made with raw eggs, such as chocolate mousse or tiramisu . If it contains alcohol, that’s an additional reason to skip dessert. For the same reasons, mayonnaise is also not recommended during pregnancy. Make sure to eat your eggs thoroughly cooked!

5. Fruits and vegetables

By eating plenty of fruits and vegetables during pregnancy, you help ensure you get enough vitamins for yourself and your baby. However, you need to take a few precautions: make sure to wash them thoroughly—especially if you’re eating them raw! It is also advisable to avoid pre-packaged salads . They certainly have the advantage of being practical, but they can easily come into contact with germs and other bacteria. Prefer a good homemade salad. ;) Raw sprouted seeds like luzerne and mung bean sprouts should also be avoided.

6. Caffeinated beverages

At certain stages of pregnancy, you may feel very tired. In that case, drinking a good cup of coffee can be very tempting. But is it a good idea? Good news: you can have up to two cups of coffee per day. The same goes for green tea and black tea, so tea drinkers aren’t left out. ;) However, you should limit yourself to 200 milligrams of caffeine per day. Beyond that, caffeine could cause growth retardation in your little one and negatively affect their weight. Since energy drinks are high in caffeine—and also contain glucuronolactone, taurine, or inositol, whose safety for pregnant women has not been proven—you should completely remove them from your shopping list. An occasional sip of cola is not a problem, but it is preferable to choose the diet version to keep your sugar intake moderate.

7. Licorice

If you have a sweet tooth and enjoy licorice, unfortunately you’ll need to avoid this little pleasure. Researchers from the University of Helsinki in Finland have highlighted that glycyrrhizin contained in licorice can increase blood pressure and the risk of premature birth if consumed in excess. It can also raise cortisol levels, the stress hormone, which can lead to physical and cognitive damage in the child. The researchers estimate that consuming more than 250 grams of licorice becomes risky. Some teas also contain licorice and should therefore be consumed in moderation. Since their glycyrrhizin content is often higher than that of candies, it is better to avoid them completely. To end on a positive note, you don’t have to give up all sweets. Honey, for example, is safe during pregnancy.

What does a balanced diet look like during pregnancy?

A healthy, balanced diet consists of plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, meat and fish, legumes, dairy products, and minimal processed foods. Generally, a balanced diet meets all your needs for vitamins and nutrients. However, when it comes to folic acid (vitamin B9), your needs increase during pregnancy, so they cannot be fully covered by diet alone. For this reason, your doctor will prescribe a course of folic acid until your twelfth week of pregnancy. It is also advisable to avoid foods that are too fatty, too sugary, or too salty. If you suffer from nausea, it is better to have several small meals throughout the day; more information can be found in our article: “”.

What hygiene precautions should you take during pregnancy?

As explained, some foods should be avoided—or even banned—during pregnancy to prevent listeriosis, salmonella, or toxoplasmosis. In addition, you should take a few precautions when preparing your meals:

• Wash your hands thoroughly before preparing your meals and sitting down at the table

• Eat only well-cooked meat, fish, and eggs

• Wash your kitchen utensils carefully, and do not use the same utensils to cut raw and cooked foods

• Carefully wash fruits and vegetables, and consume them well cooked

What should you keep in mind when following a vegetarian/vegan diet during pregnancy?

In general, a balanced diet during pregnancy includes all food categories, notably meat, fish, and dairy products. Does a vegetarian or vegan diet necessarily lead to nutrient deficiencies? The answer is no; not eating meat or fish during pregnancy is generally not a problem. However, it is important to inform your doctor so they can regularly monitor your iron levels and other important values.

Regarding a vegan diet, doctors are much more hesitant, fearing that such a diet may not fully meet the nutritional needs of pregnant women, particularly for vitamin B12. However, nothing prevents you from staying true to your beliefs, but you should discuss this with your doctor.
This way, they can closely monitor your iron, calcium, and other important levels. If necessary, they can also prescribe dietary supplements.

To make your life easier, we have prepared a quick reference sheet summarizing everything you can or cannot eat during your pregnancy:

You see, adopting a balanced diet during pregnancy isn’t so difficult. The golden rule for the coming months: « Don’t eat twice as much, but twice as well! » Certainly, you’ll need to give up some foods for a while, but isn’t the arrival of your little adventurer worth these small concessions? :P After all, it might be an opportunity to try new recipes—enjoy it!